2004 is Here

Happy New Year!

It's 2004 in Mudville now. So far though it reminds me a lot of 2003.

The neighbors didn't disappoint. The sky lit up with light and sound. If you have one guy in your neighborhood who's famous for home fireworks, imagine that guy is everyone on the street. That's what we have here.

As a service to those of you still living in 2003, if you have any questions about the future I'll be glad to answer them. Use the comment section.

New Year in the Blogosphere

Many years ago I had a buddy who was a regular barfly; any night of the week when he wasn't working he'd be at the corner dive knocking back a few cold ones. Any night of the year that was his routine, except one.

New Years Eve. He called it "amateur night" and he stayed home safe and sound and let the drunks have the roads to themselves.

I'll be home blogging in the New Years here in Mudville. The neighbors put on a heck of a fireworks display last year and I expect more of the same.

(Side note: we didn't expect the display last year, being our first in Germany, so we were "shocked and awed" by the local firepower.)

Anyhow, we'll be blogging in the New Year here in Mudville, compiling lists and visiting other bloggers too. Hope to see you here or there. (75 minutes to go, but note this blog is on Zulu or UTC/GMT.)

A toast to all.

A Smashing Good Year

Back in WWII America had guys like Ernie Pyle reporting from the front. In today's paper you could read news of last week's battles. History at your fingertips.

During Vietnam guys like Joe Galloway were on the scene.

And in Operation Iraqi Freedom there were imbedded reporters to carry on the tradition of an American Free Press in time of war.

But in our nations latest conflict history was made by a handful of military bloggers, reporting the war from a decidedly different point of view then ever before. Sure, after WWII a number of authors wrote fictionalized-based-on-fact stories of their experiences, and others wrote facts. But those stories were told through a lense made by the passage of time. The blogs from Iraq and points nearby were immediate and real, and brought Americans closer to the front in real time then they'd ever been before.

Although several bloggers were active, I imagine Smash was the first to come to mind as you read the previous paragraph. And now Smash has posted his year in review. And what a year he had, making history and blogging it, and therefore making history by blogging it.

Go visit America's #1 war correspondent of 2003.

Referrers

More in the spirit of the season, my top referrers for 2003. Thanks to all; without these good folks amplifying it my voice would be very small in the blogosphere.

In no specific order, many thanks to:

Smash
Andrew Sullivan
Charles Johnson (Little Green Footballs
Scott Ott (Scrapple Face)
Thor (A Soldier's Paradise)
Misha (The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler)
Kim Du Toit
Glenn Reynolds
Chief Wiggles
Mike (Cold Fury)
Dean Esmay
Blackfive

And yes, these are big blogs that make anyone's list with very few links.
Some 6000 other blogs can't, so I have more lists on the way.

Look out Osama, here comes The Right Hook

Go ping Hook's traffic counter. Make it spin. To make it worth your while he has a lot of great stuff posted for your reading pleasure. He's readying to go to Afghanistan, don't you know? And don't be shy while you're visiting his blog, I have it on good authority that Hook has a comment section and would love to have you leave greetings.

And if you're a blogger don't be the last to blogroll him. All others will want him in your favorites/bookmarks.

Hey, Hook, maybe your guys will get to find the cave-wall DNA smear that is Osama. Or do you think the gutless coward has sex-changed himself into obscurity?

Either way, I'm proud of you, soldier. And praying for strength for your family and a safe journey for you.

The Top Ten News Stories of 2003

Part III. Part I here. Part II here.

My choices from among CNN's options for the top 10 stories of 2003:

1. Ongoing strife in Mideast - This includes "war in Iraq" and "war on terror". They're all interwoven. If you really wanted to stare into the hard face of reality you could add in Chechnya, Kashmir, and much of Africa. And Bosnia/Kosovo, the Philippines... of course, you'd need a new umbrella title. Dar al-harb, perhaps?

2. Economic ups and downs - know why this isn't on CNN's list, or the "public" list? Because it's all ups.

3. Controversy over 10 commandments list - CNN probably considers this too provincial to merit inclusion. And I'd guess people avoid controversial issues when choosing top stories; don't want to appear to be supporting that "other side." Or maybe some of that non-confrontational Christmas spirit lingers on. Whatever side you're on in regards to this issue, it's a great indicator of the nature of the mood and mindset in the American public square today. (In more ways than one.)

4. Democrats vie for Presidential nomination: The absence of this from both CNN and readers lists is remarkable. Are people missing out on all the great fun? This gives quite an open invitation to the Democratic candydates (not a spelling error) to go at it without much scrutiny. So have at it boys and girls, we wait your next pronouncements with bated breath.

5. Loss of space shuttle Columbia: This strikes close to home. I've worked with shuttle missions and know some folks who fly them. And in addition to the human cost the setback to the space program is enormous. Having grown up in the "space age" I know what it's like to be a citizen of a nation that seeks the real stars (vice Kobe, Brittney, Madonna, and Michael). If the president wants to re-energize NASA and the space program with missions to the moon, mars, or beyond, I'm all for it.

6. Standoff with North Korea: Simmering on the back burner, always close to boiling over. The number one totalitarian dictatorship I'd like to see fall (peacefully) this next year. Close to home again; when the Berlin Wall fell I was in Korea. I remember the euphoria I felt all that distance away, mixed with a tinge of sadness that the same thing would likely not happen on the Korean peninsula. But there's always hope.

7. Crisis in Liberia: Easily the "forgotten story of the year". Remember: African nation in crisis, Bush accused of not having enough compassion, floats 2,000 Marines in a boat just off shore, accused of not doing enough, situation resolved peacefully, story drops off front pages faster then shark attacks and Chandra Levy on 911. A great and forgotten example of the US's much-improved ability to resolve things peacefully (albeit by showing determination and a hint of force) in a post-Iraq war world. (Think: Libyan nuclear program.)

8. California gubernatorial recall: Hard not to vote for a story with the word "guber" in it. Okay, seriously, it's interesting that the California wildfires made the peoples' choice list and this didn't. California wildfires are as perennial as some California Wildflowers. This story is overrated at #3 on CNN's list. The "Republican revolution" may not be the best term for it, but to spin the California story any other way is a denial of reality. (An argument could be made that it's more of a Democratic failure then a Republican success.) Although this issue is somewhat uniquely Californian, more so then the 10 commandments issue is uniquely Alabamian, both have obvious reflection on, repercussions to, and reverberation in the American spirit.

9. Gay civil rights issues: This also somewhat interchangeable with the 10 commandments issue - insofar as it is a morality issue in the minds of many, and in some cases the opposing sides on both issues feature the same players. (The interesting folks are those who are the exception to that statement. Freethinkers in action!) But the banning of religion from the public square, the twisting of "Freedom of Religion" to "Freedom from Religion" is infinitely more important. The gay rights issue is one of importance, but also over-inflated by the media, a media that has probably energized both sides of the debate. Expect this to be in the top 10 for next year too, but not many after that.

10. Ahhh... that final pick's a toughie... here it is: "Heat wave blamed for thousands of deaths in Europe." (Am I the only one who finds the wording curious? It reads like they don't want to declare the heat wave guilty until after a proper trial in the World Court.) Like the recent earthquake in Bam (Hey, where's that on the list? Damn those December news stories!) this horrendous human tragedy points out the difference between the US and under-developed (or over-extended, or unconcerned) nations in dealing with environmental tragedy. (Note: another thing wrong with wording, excessive death toll was in France. Yes, that's part of Europe, but an obvious attempt to be inoffensive just makes CNN look pathetic.) Compare to the SARS outbreak, which "scores" bigger as a news story only for its scare value. The Euro-heat deaths won't spread to Peoria, you know. The most rabid spread and greatest repercussion of SARS was within news rooms. Like Anthrax, West Nile Virus, Monkey Pox, Ebola, and any other hot new disease that could get you to loosen that grip on your wallet. Listen closely during a CNN TV report and you'll hear the cheering from the boardroom. Plague is a "bread and butter" story. Like war, famine, and death in general.

I predict there will be more of each in 2004. And we'll most likely all be here to discuss it at the end.

Happy New Year.

TOP TEN NEWS STORIES OF 2003

Part II. Part I here.

CNN has a readers poll, where you can vote for your top stories of the year, posted along with their top 10. (But "capturing Saddam" is not an available option.)

Current standings:

1. War in Iraq
2. Loss of space shuttle Columbia
3. Ongoing strife in Mideast
4. Spread and consequences of SARS
5. Elizabeth Smart found alive
6. Iranian conjoined twins die in surgery
7. Economic ups and downs
8. Standoff with North Korea
9. D.C.-area sniper trials
10. California wildfires

Although listed as "candidates", these stories are notably MIA from the readers' poll:

Controversy over "Ten Commandments" monument
Democrats vie for presidential nomination
Gay civil rights issues
Heat wave blamed for thousands of deaths in Europe
Britney Spears and Madonna kiss
Ben and Jen cancel wedding plan

I guess these stories win the 'Kucinich/Braun/Kerry Award' for news in '03.

But I do think the readers did an overall better job then CNN. I note the lack of celebrity sex on their poll, the awareness of other conflict in the mideast, and the presence of North Korea.

Did Ben and Jen really cancel their wedding plans though? They were such a lovely couple. I wonder if religious differences played a part.

More here

How Soon After Thanksgiving Did They Phone This One In?

CNN's top 10 news stories for 03:

1. War in Iraq
2. Loss of space shuttle Columbia
3. California gubernatorial recall
4. Terror war
5. Massive August 14 blackout
6. Spread and consequences of SARS
7. Gay civil rights issues
8. Celebrities and sex charges
9. Recovery of Elizabeth Smart
10. Deaths of Qusay and Uday Hussein

Since I don't much care what CNN thinks I might have over looked the missing "capture of Saddam" as merely a part of the "war in Iraq" except for the inclusion of Qusay and Uday.

My suspicious side says it's because the brothers went down fighting while poopdeck pappy threw his hands up and offered to negotiate (Sorry, Einstein, that offer has expired), and CNN doesn't want to offend Arab sensibilities.

Could they, having already including one recovery of a missing person, not wanted two on the same theme?

I know what you're thinking, but really they could have included Saddam without leaving out their white hot celebrity sex stories. All that was required was to combine terror war with war in Iraq, as it should be.

But then where would they put the "Khadaffy gives up nukes" story?

'Tis the Season

How much drek did Andrew Sullivan Andrew Sullivan (whose site this week features a guest blogger) have to wade through to compile these awards? (Here and here.) I can't read the excerpts from the mindless testimonials that earned them without wincing in pain, or grinding my teeth.

Was that the intent of the authors? Ha! Then I lied! I laughed at their ignorance-masquerading-as-enlightened-modern-thought!

No teeth gnashing. I'll be damned if their need for a Psychiatrist will result in my need for a Dentist.

This of course, is just a warm up, my way of transitioning themes.

"T'is the season, don't you know." Which one? "You know, the season. The bestof season. The awards season. The top 10 season." Oh. Riiiight. THAT one.

More to come...

Thanks Lisa

Lisa S bestows an unexpected honor on your humble servant.

We go "way back" in blog time, Lisa and I. And I can't say enough good things about her.

Thanks Lisa. Keep fighting the good fight.

Eric in '03!!!

I wasn't going to vote this week.

Then I found Eric at Self Composed. An active duty military guy. And he's entered the New Weblog Showcase.

That's a great name for a blog Eric.

As a two-time-showcase-loser and now ecosystem-large-mammal-with- powerful-friends-and-thousands-of-readers-that-recently-broke-into-the-top-50-blogs-by-traffic-rankings-although-not-a-blog-alliance-member-and-also-I-don't cheat-the-system-but -I-owe-it-all-to-those-powerful-friends I may have a post on the topic later this week. Unasked for "advice for contestants".

Or I might not.

My advice to you is to vote for Eric if you can. Even if you've already voted once.

But how many reporters are on the scene?

This AP story ran in both the Atlanta Journal Constitution and the London Guardian

CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) - The Bush administration is sending 150,000 pounds of medical supplies to quake-ravaged Iran in a military airlift, government officials said Saturday.

I note the credit to the Bush admin vs. "the US". Guess the AP's first-line editors were off for Christmas.

Oops. The Holidays, I mean.

The first round of airlift aid is launching from Kuwait. It's a good thing we were near by and ready, eh Osama? Must have been the Will of Allah.

But seriously... this is one of those events where you're truly proud to serve. Though arguably not the mission of the military it’s hard not to swell a bit with pride when you're in the service of a nation that can do this sort of thing on short order, and does it.

Now can someone explain this obsessively bizarre coverage from CNN?

The flights are the first U.S. military flights into Iran since an elite force tried to rescue U.S. hostages there in April 1980. That mission ended in a fiery crash in a remote part of the country known afterward as Desert One.

Two U.S. military C-130 planes landed at Kerman Airport Sunday morning, about 120 miles from Bam, airport officials said. A third plane was expected to follow shortly, with at least two other flights arriving later.

Operation Desert One was a failed, top-secret mission designed to rescue 66 hostages held in the capital, Tehran.

Mechanical problems in Iran's Great Salt Desert caused the mission to be aborted. As one of six helicopters departed, it crashed into a C-130 cargo plane, causing an explosion that killed eight servicemen.

The U.S. did not try a second rescue attempt, and the hostages were eventually released.

What the...?

Interweaving this story with Desert One? Other then reminding Americans of a miserable failure, what purpose does that serve, exactly? Do we alternate paragraphs in current events stories on North Korea with details about the battle of Chosin Reservoir?

SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea overspent its military budget this year to boost "offensive and defensive" strike capabilities in the face of mounting tensions with the United States over its nuclear weapons programs, a top North Korean official said yesterday.

During the Korean war, US troops landed at Inchon on 15 September 1950, liberated Seoul, marched northward and captured Pyongyang on 19 October.

Hmmmm... maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea...

Now back to Iran.

Dear CNN,
Thank you for not mentioning the Bush administration in your report on aid to Iran. That right-wing dominated AP fawned over the President as though he was the second coming of Christ. Iraq+Bush=Dean 04! Iran+America=Dean 04!

Here's another story you can use for free. I wrote it all by myself:

IRAN (MVG News) The United States government is currently working with Iranian authorities, the United Nations, and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent to rapidly deploy humanitarian assistance to the people of Iran following yesterday's devastating earthquake in Bam.

The last hungry Islamic nation in turmoil the US attempted to help was Somalia during President Clinton's administration.

The first American aid shipment to Iran arrived early Sunday aboard two U.S. military transport planes that landed in the city of Kerman, about 200 kilometers from Bam.

During a firefight in Mogadishu, 18 American soldiers died while attempting to round up a group of lieutenants of Somalian warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. Estimates on the Somali death toll range from 500-1500.

The United States will deploy civilian teams composed of more than 200 experts in urban search and rescue, emergency surgery, and disaster response coordination -- including medical response teams from Boston, Massachusetts, and local disaster response teams from Los Angeles, California, and Fairfax County, Virginia. Disaster response experts will also be drawn from USAID, FEMA, and the Department of State, and the US military will deliver more than 150,000 pounds of medical supplies from bases in Kuwait to the people of Iran.

Shortly after the "Blackhawk Down" episode President Clinton ordered the Americans to flee Somalia. Many right wing loonies, perhaps fueled by claims from Al-Qaeda confirming the allegation, believe this show of presidential cowardice contributed to the events of 911.

The United States will continue to work with Iranian authorities and international relief organizations to help the people of Iran during this challenging time.

And oh by the way, this cute little feller might or (might not) cause problems.

(Pray for the people of Bam.)

Airbiscuit

Movie about a racing bird?

Airmen? So not-PC. MArines, sailors, soldiers, no problem.

Sand Castles

Across America today, in churches and in homes, prayers will go out to the people of Arg-e-Bam.

Photo galleries from Blog Iran can be found here and here.

Steve, in an interesting post with a great discussion, has links to organizations that can help.

And so this was Christmas...

The lights still glow, the tree still stands, but the gifts are put away.

Do they show the messages to the front (or home from the front) on your local TV?

We get them here in Germany on Armed Forces Television; deployed folks on camera, shouting hello and season's greetings to their loved ones here in the Bundesrepublik. "Hi I'm Sgt Soandso, and I wanna say hi to my wife and kids in Germany! Happy holidays honey, I love you!!"

Great stuff, and I'm sure it means much to the recipient of the message.

But "Happy holidays"?

Lileks noted this in a near-empty Mall.

At the Mall on Tuesday it was almost the Holiday That Dare Not Speak Its Name; there were references to the season, and things festive. The very word "t'is" has become a code word for Christmas, a wink and a nod. "T'is the season." Which one? "You know, the season. The festive season." Oh. Riiiight. THAT one.

Bad enough there, but in greetings within families? Maybe I'm insensitive here, but the generic greeting, required in the public square, is now the phrase of choice used between husbands, wives, and children?

Really, whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, or Festivus, has it come to that? Are we afraid to offend our loved ones with specific greetings?

Or were the folks told what to say by the camera crews? (I know what I'd say to the camera crews if they told me what to say.)

I don't think that's the case. I'm afraid the reason is even more depressing. "Happy holidays (short for 'Happy generic holiday occurring somewhere around the winter solstice') is becoming the American greeting for December. Folks say it without thinking about it. It likely sounds right to them.

Though not to me.

Merry Christmas America. Happy Hanukah. Say it loud, and unapologetically.

And speaking of Lileks, do not say farewell to Christmas '03 (or all of '03 for that matter) without reading all of Lileks' Christmas posts. Start with Monday and go from there. Finish the week. It will take you all of 15 minutes. (And then you'll probably want to read them again.) If you've never read Lileks before I'll humbly accept your thanks for pointing you in that direction.

But then come back here and follow this link to Scott Ott's incredible Christmas entry. Not your typical ScrappleFace fare (and thanks Scott, for the link to the Bob Hope entry. A rare honor.)

Definitely the way to close out Christmas. (Though I'm ever reluctant to do so, my Christmas spirit flares brightest on the days just after!)

And prepare for New Years!

(Wait, can we say 'New Years' without offending the Chinese, Koreans, Muslims, Jews, and any one on the lunar calendar?)

Army of One

Poor Jim. He had pefected the art of blogging in obscurity, then made the mistake of joining the Friends of MilBlogs.

Poor Jim just does everything wrong.

Update

It's never too late!
Just because Christmas is over doesn't mean these folks don't deserve some holiday cheer! Please help fill the "stockings"! It's free, and you'll feel better for doing it.

Thanks!

Economic Recovery News

More good economic recovery news from Long Island Newsday. You can't credit Clinton or Christmas for this one:

Baghdad, Iraq - Although their electricity runs sporadically and gasoline lines stretch for miles, Iraqis are enjoying unprecedented availability of commercial goods, from cars to satellite dishes to portable exercise machines.

The fall of Saddam Hussein also ended a United Nations trade embargo, import tariffs and, in the absence of a government, sales taxes, which cut prices on appliances, electronic goods and other imports to as low as half their pre-war level. At the same time, some Iraqis are making unprecedented wages as the U.S.-led coalition has dramatically increased public-sector salaries and pensions and contracting fees.

"The Americans, they pay good money," said Haider Riad, an engineer whose salary doubled - from $110 to $220 a month - under a U.S. Army contract. He was shopping for a new refrigerator, washing machine and satellite dish one recent evening.

Catch the reference to absence of taxes? No wonder so many Democrat presidential candidates want us out of there quickly. Our troops could pick up bad foreign ideas and customs.

Two weeks after the fall of Hussein, Ali Mohammed converted his women's shoe store in Baghdad into an outlet for satellite dishes. He has sold 2,000 in eight months for about $200 each. "Every Iraqi wants a satellite," Mohammed said.

And satellite TV arrives in a nation where previously it was illegal to own one. You know sales will be hot. What does everyone want most? That which they can't have. So along with satellite, of course, comes information...

Satellite dishes were illegal under Hussein - possession was punishable by 6 months in prison - and their sudden ubiquity has brought perhaps the most profound cultural change to Iraq, which previously had only state-run television. Iraqis are now watching American movies and British news, where they are learning the extent of Hussein's atrocities.

"Now we know there were thousands of massacres," said Mohammed. "We were shocked."

As I am shocked to learn that British news is broadcasting anti-Saddam information. Quite a contrast from some networks I could name...

American news, of course, is fair and balanced. As proof I offer the concluding paragraphs to the above story...

But the new consumer culture is being undermined by a new lawlessness that prompts retailers who might have stayed open until midnight to close at 8 p.m. And the chronic power outages frustrate new satellite owners such as Usama Hashim, who bought a six-foot dish in July but has electricity for only one or two hours a day. "A TV without electricity; what's it worth?" he asked. "It's like putting a rock on the table."

Six foot dish? No wonder he's angry. Yep, room for improvement.

Although the new availability of goods results directly from the U.S.-led overthrow of Hussein, it has not brought a groundswell of goodwill.

"No, no, no," said Waseem Hassan, an electronics store owner, when asked if being able to sell satellite dishes made him feel better about the United States. "There is no electricity, there is no water, there is no safety." And then, as if on cue, the lights in his store went out.

Obviously we've failed miserably. I hope the Brits don't report it on their news!

Ghost of Christmas Present

Part V

(Part I here Part II here Part III here Part IV here)

Speaking of time...

...here's a gift I got for Christmas this year. I get one of these about every two years now. The bands and the batteries last about that long. I run and bike a lot, so maybe I wear them out faster then some folks.

Grown up stuff. Sort of. I got my first ever watch back when that catalog I linked to in the first post in this series was new. I wanted GI Joe and got the watch. It was cool though. I had a watch. I was growing up!

Tick... tick... tick - watches don't even do that any more...

Time accelerates, you know. It doesn't move at a steady pace. Or does our perspective change? I'm not really sure.

For the first time in almost 20 years Santa did not stop by our house this year. The youngest is 13 next month. I say Santa should have visited in spite of the lack of faith.

So it goes.

As I write this a glance at my new watch tells me Christmas has a very few hours left here. Even if I stop the watch it won't matter.

Don't get me wrong, Christmas is good and the passage of time doesn't bother me that much.

The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come

Nor should it bother you.

Ghosts of Christmas Past

Part IV (Part I here Part II here Part III here)

And then one day you find, ten years have got behind you...

And you're too old for games, baby. And you're a rock and roller and the world is yours and Santa knows you want a Fender Srat and a Marshall Stack. Eternal youth!

It's short lived, isn't it?

Continue reading "Ghosts of Christmas"...

Ghosts of Christmas Past

Part III (Part I here Part II here)

Speaking of models...

Think there is anything new under the sun? Or are all things old just made new again?



Scary yes? Scary things were all the rage when I was a lad. It was a scary world we lived in then.

But we made games of scary things...

What fun to laugh in the face of fear!

Continue reading...

Ghosts of Christmas Past

Part II (Part I here)

The space age! Funny that sounds old fashioned to me; have we advanced or withdrawn?

A great thing about growing up back in the space age was the toys. Like Billy Blastoff and Robbie Robot. Their backpacks held batteries that spun little gears that drove all their vehicles all over the surface of the moon. Or Mars Base. Or wherever.

Of course, once you were a bit older Robbie Robot wasn't cool enough. The Zeroids were all the rage.

And Major Matt Mason and his team replaced Billy Blastoff.

But perhaps the coolest of all, once you were a bit older still, were the actual models of the Apollo spacecraft. The Saturn V, the Command Module, the Lunar Lander.









So there's something to wonder. If we go back to the moon will the toy industry go along?

Continue reading Ghosts of Christmas...

Christmas Carnival!

Need more Christmas spirit? Winds of Change hosts this week's Carnival of the Vanities, with a Christmas theme (of course).

Operation BOB HOPE

UPDATE: Just because Christmas is over doesn't mean these folks don't deserve some holiday greetings! I'll continue to update, please help fill the "stockings"! Thanks!

Okay, he's no longer with us, so this holiday season you can be Bob Hope. Visit these GI's (and veterans and spouses) around the world and drop a bit of cheer into the stockings that are their comment sections. That includes you folks who read but have never commented on a blog before - I know you're out there. Wish good tidings to these folks, many of whom are far from home enabling your safe season.

I'll update this list routinely, with new entries at the top. Check back when you can for more. (And feel free to e-mail me with links to additional military bloggers).

Without further ado...

update 8: I almost forgot a fellow MilBlogger stationed in Germany. This young lady is an Air Force Airman, working for a living for God and country far from home and family. On Christmas. And she requests comments for her friend Greg, who isn't feeling the spirit. Careful though, she's a homicidal maniac.

update 7: Its always contrast.
Jason is Just Another Soldier readying to deploy, and you can take that jouney with him. (Sort of, insofar as he writes well enough that you will think you are with him.) He's miserable, by the way. Or at least was when he last posted. But I'll bet he's over it. Christmas and all, you know.

And Jasminepetal waits, but uses her Christmas time to post great stuff. Do not miss the First Christmas entry.

But Baghdaddy has a great re-cap of the past year in Iraq, food for thought on if it was all worthwhile. Don't miss it.

But don't forget to leave season's greetings!

update 6: I'm not linking a specific post on Andi's blog because then you'd miss seeing what a great front page she has. She's another spouse with a deployed husband, but he's coming home soon. Just too late for Christmas. Can you spare a bit of cheer?

Thor, on the other hand, made it home on time to start a new household and be with his wife and son on his first Christmas. Cool.

And Doc Russia got home from the Marines a long while back, but has a Christmas story you don't want to miss.

update 5: Surely everyone's wished a merry Christmas and happy new year to Chief Wiggles by now? Actually, surprisingly few folks have, considering all the things that the Chief has done these past few months. Got time for a quick salutation to the Chief?

And Citizen Smash has links to some deployed bloggers too. Christmas in the Sand box is here. (But Smash's Christmas post is here.)

update 4: The last of my fellow "German" bloggers (60-odd years later we're still in das quagmire): Sarah at trying to Grok. Always great and thoughtful things to be found at Sarah's blog, visitors please report here and leave Christmas tidings.

update 3: Christmas presents, or "everytime a bell rings, a jumper gets his wings!"

Bejuspundit earned his wings. Then made it home for Christmas.

Update 3a: Working for a living...

Ed is deployed somewhere in Africa supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. And he's working Christmas so his troops won't have to.

That makes two of us.

He also linked to a poem at Blackfive's. The warrior-poet spirit is alive and well in the blogosphere.

Update 2: You do eventually get home. (At least, 99% do.)

DarthVOB is home, but he spent Christmas 1990 helping liberate Kuwait. Read his tale and you'll know why it couldn't have been done without him. Don't forget to tell him merry Christmas and thanks for the memories!

And speaking of getting home, the Fusilier Pundit has a multi-part story for you, of trying to get home for Christmas from OEF in '01. (That's Operation Enduring Freedom, friends. Remember Afghanistan?) Thank him for the story he lived, please, before you leave.

So there you go. A lesson for the deployed; you'll get there, and when you do home will be all the sweeter. So my fine Athiest Soldier, have faith! (And fine readers, please offer this young man some encouraging words!)

Update 1: These folks require a bit of extra effort on your parts. They have no comments sections and must be emailed (addresses on their sites). I think having their inboxes filled on Christmas morning would be great, 'cause they've all been nice not naughty.

Jason is in Iraq Now and got to jam a bit for a USO audience. A troop entertaining the troops! (Not unusual at all, believe me.) He's also been posting great ground truth for some time; a terrific counter to some other "sources" you're likely familiar with.

And here's an example of contrast:

Capt Patti is just-got-home-from-Baghdad with Tim (I suppose they think of Germany as home, for now at least). Chromedome is not home with his wonderful Mrs., but she's trying to smile. You'll see what I mean. Strong people. Please wish them all well. (Chromedomezone does have a guestbook here)

The first links:

Major Pain's letters from Balad have been the blogosphere's version of M*A*S*H for several months. Her holiday related entries are here and here.

John Galt is a veteran, now serving with the CPA in Iraq, and blogging at Deeds. Christmas related posts here. (and scroll on for more.)

And here's An Army Wife, living in Germany while her husband is deployed to Iraq. She's talking about missing Christmas with her folks here, but I'm sure she's missing lots more. Spread cheer!

Hook is spending Christmas in Hawaii with his family, but is readying to deploy. His Christmas post is here.

That's all for now, more to come!

THE COLD SOLSTICE

The seasons change, and winter comes to the hilltop where I live. There's a dusting of snow on the ground, and flurries falling. There's a fire in the fireplace.

The trees are without leaves, and the forest is smaller though the view is larger; you can see out the other side. It's just a hundred-acre wood, after all.

Last week we walked the dogs, the Mrs., the kids and I. Before the snow had covered the ground. An early morning with frost; rime edged every individual leaf, froze them into solid chips of burnt gold. Infinite detail; amazing artistry. So good to have a family together this time of year, so far from home, where so many do not.

Later that day we saw The Return of the King. (Note: there are no spoilers in the discussion ahead.) Our local theater had it in English on at least two screens and Deutsch on others. We braved the opening day crowd and experienced no disappointment in the movie, of course. Except, perhaps, it was too short. Why make us all wait for the extended version? The others were understandable. No one would have released the first movie in its uncut glory; too risky. Whether to renew interest and fill gaps just before the release of the subsequent episode or just to maximize profit, the first two extended versions were in my opinion the best use yet of the DVD medium. I suppose fiscal concerns of theater owners must trump fan desires in this case, so we wait another many months for the real final installment in the series. So be it; everyone involved certainly deserves the profits they'll take.

I went to the movie with pure enjoyment as my goal, but I couldn't deny a desire to see if a theme from the first two movies would carry through to the third. An amazing connection to events of the day, a line of dialogue to resonate within my mind as amazingly applicable to current events. Fellowship when Gandalf discusses fate with Frodo: We don't choose the times in which we are born. So soon after 911. Towers, Wormtongue's words to Théoden: Do not listen to these warmongers! As the very situation played out in the real world.

Then in Return: Aragorn at the gates of Mordor calls out the dark leader of the dark lands. Where is he? Send him out! I cringe at the all too obvious analogy.

Tolkien himself is said to have hated analogy and denied any existed in his work. I suppose there's the truth at the core of the success of this epic; good vs. evil, persevere against odds to ultimate (though not inevitable) triumph; a story that transcends specific examples and thus encompasses so many.

On that topic of persevere against odds I note the passing of two anniversaries. Nearly sixty years ago a very few miles from here Americans withstood the final German counter attack of WWII. If you haven't seen Band of Brothers yet, if you haven't seen the postscript, where a legless man stands on crutches at the edge of the woods and surveys the land he made free, then you should. There was a commemoration of that battle held this past weekend. I'd have liked to have been there. Survivors from both sides, along with citizens of all nations, walk the battle lines and remember, or imagine. I'd have liked to have done that; to have felt a hint of that cold they felt. To have wondered at how they could have endured that cold with mortar rounds and shrapnel raining down among them.

And a couple weeks and 53 years ago, the First Marine Division and the Army's 7th Infantry Division battled out from Chosin, fought free from 120,000 Chinese soldiers and lived to fight another day. (At least those with all their fingers and toes intact. Frostbite is an unforgiving foe.) If you're not familiar with America's war with China you can start learning here. Then here and here. If there's a commemorative event at Chosin then no Americans will be taking part. There will be no joining of old enemies in peaceful times.

This year.

And speaking of this year, I see out the window the snow is about an inch deep now. And it's cold. And I'm inside with a fire. And the wife and the kids and the dogs.

And my daughter has a friend over. And that friend's dad will spend Christmas in Iraq. And her mom, here in Germany, has not decorated their house this year. Not even a tree.

I missed the Bastogne event because I was working this past weekend. And I'll miss about 10 hours of Christmas with my family for the same reason. We're 24/7/365 at my shop. And I'm not complaining.

Who knows what next year will bring?

Ghosts of Christmas Past

Greyhawk wasn't always grey...

And in young Greyhawk's world nothing made Christmas a more tangible reality than the annual arrival of the Sears Christmas catalog.

Once you could flip those pages you could really start to plan your Christmas in earnest. You knew just what toys you wanted, just by looking at those flat, two- dimensional images. In your minds eye, of course, you were already playing with them.

I was never a greedy kid; I rarely wanted more then 2 or 3 toys from each page of the catalog. I'd dilligently circle them, and to this day I vividly recall the 95% I never got as among the major disappointments of the first decade-and-a half of my life.

See the GI Joes? They were not really combat soldiers at that point in history, they were more "adventurers" with life-like hair and kung-fu grip.

Every day I wanted a different one. Some days I wanted all of 'em.

I got none of them.

But let me assure you I got plenty of stuff for Christmas. To this day I'm not sure how the folks could have done it.

Proof in my mind, of Santa Claus.

Continue reading...

Next: Her Christmas Cookie Recipe

Katie Couric about 2 seconds ago (Today, 22 Dec 2003): "Tell me why there's no woman on the cover?"

Jim Kelly from Time: " That is a Woman."

Katie: "Oh."

Me: "Idiot".

More: Here

The Hunt for $addam

Stories on the details of the hunt for Saddam should be plentiful for a while. This one from Newsweek contains what will likely be among the first of many embellishments of the "official" version:

The Special Forces commando had already pulled the pin. He was primed to toss the grenade into the "spider hole," a Vietnam-era nickname for lethal hiding places. But the man cowering inside did not use the pistol resting in his lap. He raised both hands in submission and, speaking in English, announced, "I am Saddam Hussein, I am the president of Iraq and I'm willing to negotiate."

As the story was later told, one of the Special Forces operators looked down at the disheveled, bearded, seemingly dazed man and replied, "President Bush sends his regards." And coming out of the hole, Saddam accidentally bumped his head. But a knowledgeable U.S. official told NEWSWEEK that it didn't quite happen that way. In fact, as Saddam was being handcuffed, he began to struggle with his captors. He spat at the soldiers. One of the commandos decked him, either with a punch or a rifle butt. (The military later tidied up the story of his capture for popular consumption.)

So ended one of the biggest and most maddening manhunts in history. The Americans had tried and failed to kill Saddam Hussein with laser-guided 2,000-pound bombs at the beginning and toward the end of the invasion of Iraq last spring. He had slipped out of Baghdad as American forces were advancing on the Iraqi capital in early April and vanished. Offers of a $25 million reward and all the secret listening devices of American technology had failed to find the Butcher of Baghdad. In the end, the capture of the man known to the military as High Value Target 1 (HVT-1) or Black List 1 (BL-1) required drudgery, patience and a bit of luck.

The tale is a good one; though we'll surely never know the full truth. Details like the "punch in the face" sound urban-legendary, with a special resonance to the "if it ain't true, it oughta be" aspect of this one. Who wouldn't have wanted to throw that punch, at the slightest twitch of the captive? The 'spit' detail, of course, provides ample justification, right?

Still I note the obligatory "failure" references in the third paragraph. Nice balance there, Newsweek. Am I reading too much into that? The London Times (their version is subscription only; Fox has an excerpt here) seems to want to hint at the "cost" aspect too.

LONDON ? The potted palm looked strangely familiar to Nada Yunis, a 36-year-old Iraqi businesswoman.

She suddenly realized as she watched Saddam Hussein on TV that he was sitting in her living room.

<...>

As she watched the latest pictures of Saddam talking to senior aides, she recognized the orange curtains. The aides were sitting on her dining room chairs, and the palm stood where she had left it.

It was as close as anyone would come to identifying Saddam's precise location.

The next day, a CIA informant claimed to have spotted the elusive president entering another Mansur compound only half a mile from Yunis' home.

Within 45 minutes, an Air Force B-1 bomber demolished the compound with four precision-guided bunker-busting bombs.

"Just in case he didn't die before, let's have him die again," joked a U.S. intelligence official.

Of course, Saddam was not dead.

And it would take eight frustrating months and one of the world's most expensive manhunts to track him down to a hole in the ground.

World's most expensive manhunt? Was the whole thing about the president getting the guy that tried to kill his dad? We haven't dusted that one off lately have we?

No, surely I'm overreacting. All the coverage of the fall of Saddam is celebratory, isn't it? And the closing paragraphs of the London Times story are meant to point out the eternal flame of human hope, even in the face of overwhelming evidence that said hope is misplaced right?

Not everyone believes this is really happening, however. Diehards say Saddam is free. Awja, his home town, is gripped by the rumour about a little girl who was walking in the street crying last week.

A black BMW pulled up and the man inside asked: "Why are you crying?" She said she was crying because her president was captured. He laughed, and she recognised the laugh. It was Saddam. He gave her money for sweets, and said: "Stop crying, go to school, and be sure I will never be captured."

What a heartwarming tale. Just in time for Christmas!

Dear Time Warner,

Yours,
Greyhawk

Hungry? Here's Food for Thought

A series of quotes that caught my attention from here and there around the blogosphere. Things that made me say "hmmmmm..." (Then: "wish I'd thought of that!") They are much more brilliant, of course, in the context of the full stories from which I culled them.

Lisa S. at Right Voices gets a nice shot off at the new Madeleine Albright battalion of the tin-foil-hat brigade:

"Also, I think President Bush also has the entire Middle East Peace Crisis solved and a Peace plan in place that all parties can agree on - - but he's waiting until right before the election to unroll it to the general public."

Bejus pundit, typing through the pain of jump school, notes:

The fact that no foreign terrorists were captured in this first major raid underscores how fragmented Al Queda has become...if they aren't taking advantage of the opportunity to wreak havoc in post-war Iraq, it's because they can't take advantage of it.

And I hope he's right.

Darren Kaplan injects grim common sense into the discussion of court veto of wartime presidential powers and responsibilities:

As regards Mr. Padilla, if the Constitution permits the President to order the killing of those who threaten the United States under the inherent powers of Commander in Chief, why should we be shocked to find that the Constitution also permits the President to hold such persons for the duration of the hostilities?

Darren (a lawyer) has a couple insightful posts on the recent appeals court decisions.

And Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit scores twice on media coverage in Iraq:

But, really, I'd be happy if the news business were in the news business, instead of letting itself be embarrassingly scooped by Iraqi dentists with digicams and blogs.

Hey, here's another reason why this war isn't Vietnam -- this time around, it's the news media who don't want the real story to get out. . . .

What can I say? Indeed.
Heh.

The Christmas Spin?

Is it because of Christmas? Every one in a while I find a story that doesn't directly (or indirectly) attack the policies of the U.S. Of course, balanced or pro-American reporting invariably comes from a very few sources, and AJC seems to be one.

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 18, 2003

Note: this from print edition, not available on line.

Wounded Find A New Mission

By George Edmonson, Staff

Washington -- Marine Capt. Jason Frei followed a path taken by many of those hurt on the battlefield in Iraq.

An artillery officer from North Dakota who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, Frei was in a Humvee advancing toward Baghdad in the early days of the invasion when a rocket-propelled grenade hit the vehicle.

He was helicoptered to facilities in Kuwait, flown to a military hospital in Germany and then transported to the United States.

One of more than 280 Marines injured in combat since the beginning of the fight to topple Saddam Hussein's government, Frei lost much of his right arm, which has been replaced by a prosthesis.

After being treated at Bethesda National Naval Medical Center just outside Washington, he took 30 days of convalescent leave in San Diego and then headed back to his base at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Among his first actions was applying to remain in the Marines. Another was going out to meet other returning troops injured overseas in the hopes of passing along encouraging words.

"You have to maintain a positive attitude," said Frei, 31. "You have to. You can decide to let this slow you down, just like any other adversity you would run into in your life. I can't do that."

Today, others wounded in Iraq probably will hear words of encouragement from President Bush, who will be visiting patients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.

The scene will be familiar to Pfc. Adam McLain.

"I met the president" at Walter Reed, said McLain, 22, a military police officer in the National Guard who is now home in Havre, Mont.

McLain, who is recuperating from injuries suffered in Iraq, has a photograph of himself with Bush, but the college student admitted he doesn't recall a great deal about the meeting because he was "heavily morphinated."

Bush's visit is one of several he's made to see injured troops at the complex named after a noted 19th century Army physician who did pioneering work on yellow fever. But some critics argue that soldiers wounded in Iraq are not receiving the attention they deserve.

About 2,100 patients from the war have been treated at Walter Reed, including 368 battle casualties, according to the hospital. The overall Army figures show about 1,900 soldiers have been wounded in action in Iraq and about 7,800 others have suffered non-combat related injuries, including diseases.

This is far more than in the Persian Gulf War and Bosnia, but it pales in comparison to other wars.

"In Korea and Vietnam, they were coming back 500 a week," said Cy Kammeier, national public relations director for the Military Order of the Purple Heart, which has about 40,000 members. "This is almost nothing in comparison -- which is good."

In addition to complaints that not enough attention is being paid the wounded, some critics of the Bush administration contend news coverage of funerals at Arlington National Cemetery has been restricted. They also say a blackout on coverage of bodies returning to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware is designed to hide the toll on U.S. troops.

But administration officials argue they are merely trying to ensure the privacy of families and conduct the operations with dignity.

Last month at Fort Carson, Colo., Bush met with the families of 26 soldiers killed in the war. It was one of several such meetings, according to White House spokeswoman Clair Buchan. The president's Thanksgiving Day trip to visit U.S. troops in Baghdad also served to tamp down criticism.

Private groups, such as the Disabled American Veterans, also are reaching out to the wounded and their families.

With U.S. troops facing more grenade and explosives attacks in the Iraq war, the types of injuries are changing: more blast injuries, fewer gunshot wounds.

The largest component of injuries involve arms and legs, said Lt. Col. Van Coots, a physician who serves as senior medical staff officer for health policy and services with the Surgeon General's Office. Improved body armor and protective Kevlar helmets are two advances that afford more protection to the trunk and head, he said.

In addition to the armor, he cited increased training for medics, new life-saving products employed on the battlefield and surgical units working closer to the front. "So we really are taking care of these guys within that 'golden hour,' that first hour after wounding when saving the life is so critical," he said.

Too Cool for School - a Brighter Chrstmas for a wounded GI

Haven't found this on their website yet, but I'll link when I can.

School's Gift: Wounded GI's Kids Will Make A Holiday Visit

By Eileen Kelley, Special to The Denver Post

COLORADO SPRINGS - Schoolteacher Liz Follon didn't have to borrow an overtold story to teach her third-grade class a lesson on remembering the less fortunate during the holiday season.

Instead, Follon's classroom, along with the rest of Grant Elementary School, created a real-life holiday story.

In a matter of a week, kids at the 500-student school in north-central Colorado Springs dug deep into their piggy banks, unearthed crumpled dollar bills from secret hiding spots and did extra chores around the house to raise money for airline tickets and hotel accommodations for two fellow students. In the end, they gathered about $3,000.

That means Anthony Mitchell, 8, and Megan Mitchell, 7, can visit their injured soldier father at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., for Christmas. They wouldn't be able to go without their classmates' help.

Staff Sgt. Roy Mitchell of Indiana was severely burned and lost part of his left leg in a land-mine explosion in Afghanistan on Nov. 23. The 32-year-old from Fort Drum in New York was one of 21 wounded soldiers recovering as of Wednesday at Walter Reed.

The military hospital has a special dinner and other events planned for Christmas. But Mitchell has no idea his children are coming next week to surprise him. The last time Megan and Anthony saw their father was in June, as he was preparing to deploy.

"It's just so awesome," said Jeanne Fears, the school's head secretary. "One little boy said last night that if that was his dad, he'd want to be there at Christmas, too, so that's why he pitched in."

For Anthony and Megan, seeing their father alive will help allay fears they have about his health and safety, said Jennifer Mitchell, the children's mother.

Jennifer Mitchell, who is divorced from Roy Mitchell, said she never expected the students to rally around Anthony and Megan the way they did. All she did, she said, was inform the school that if Anthony and Megan were acting out and having trouble, officials should know their father was badly injured. But word of the injured soldier spread quickly.

"It's a Christmas blessing, and it will be a Christmas they will remember forever," she said. "We are trying to keep that element of surprise. That is the greatest gift they have for their dad this year."

The children's anticipation and pride are growing.

Each day Anthony asks Follon, his teacher, for the number of days left until he can see his father again.

"They are so very excited," Jennifer Mitchell said. "Anthony answers the phone, 'Hello, my name is Anthony, and my daddy is a hero. Who are you?"'

Earlier this week Follon sent the boy home with a bundle of letters and hand-drawn pictures from his classmates, gifts for his father. The letters are filled with words of love, prayer and concern, not only for Roy Mitchell, but also for Anthony, Follon said.

"It was unbelievable. They were so involved and so motivated and excited to write (the letters), which is not normal when we have to write a story," said Follon. "This is the true meaning of the holidays. They are giving to somebody who they don't know. They have never even seen (Anthony's) father."

FLIGHT

100 years ago today, the Wright Brothers invented flight.

Visit the Air Force Museum

or the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum

Probably the best thing about flying is when GIs get to fly home. Have you visited Operation Hero Miles yet?

Glenn did. (Thanks Glenn.)

(Note - above picture by my daughter when she was in middle school; she won a contest with that one. She said I could use it but she made me promise not to tell it was hers.)

Yeaah.. That's the Ticket!

Fox says:

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright insisted Wednesday that she was just kidding when she wondered aloud whether the Bush administration is holding Usama bin Laden captive, waiting to break him out at the best political moment.

It was a "tongue-in-cheek comment and was not intended in any other way," Albright told Fox News.

But witnesses to Albright's comment said the ambassador did not appear to be joking Tuesday when she suggested President Bush may reveal bin Laden's capture as an "October surprise" (search) before next November's presidential election.

Albright was in the Fox News studio's green room waiting to appear on an evening program when she made the remark.

"She said, 'Do you suppose that the Bush administration has Usama bin Laden hidden away somewhere and will bring him out before the election?'" said Fox News analyst and Roll Call executive editor Mort Kondracke. "She was not smiling."

Two makeup artists who prep the guests before their appearances also reported that Albright did not ask her question in a joking manner.

Interesting, coming from someone who recently (dated 8 Dec) made this somewhat rambling statement on the failure to capture or kill Osama Bin laden and Saddam Hussein:

"Saddam Hussein's continued life is more of a problem than Osama bin Laden's. Because if we look at what has been happening with the insurgency [in Iraq] and stories in the last few days [about] funds that Saddam Hussein somehow has access to ... in many ways he has a lot of levers he was used to pulling. The question is whether the strings are attached... His continued life is creating huge problems. And while the [Bush] administration is basically saying none of this matters any more, I think it does matter. Whether they capture him there is no way of telling. Osama bin Laden ...I think it would be better if Osama bin Laden were captured. That is what they promised us and it hasn't happened."

And this on Afghanistan from a story dated 13 Dec "Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar are still at large and warlords continue to rule."

And this classic from just a couple months ago:

The United States would now be safer and more popular overseas had Al Gore instead of George W. Bush won the 2000 presidential election, former secretary of state Madeleine Albright said in remarks published yesterday.

In an opinion piece published in the September/October 2003 issue of the scholarly journal Foreign Affairs, Albright also accused the Bush administration of blundering by invading Iraq before Afghanistan was truly stabilised, Osama bin Laden had been caught and his al-Qaeda network smashed.

"I remain convinced that had Al Gore been elected president, and had the attacks of September 11 still happened, the United States and NATO would have gone to war in Afghanistan together, then deployed forces all around that country and stayed to rebuild it," she wrote.

So if it's true, why the sudden reversal on the claim?

My theory: Angling for a veep slot on the Dean ticket.

Dean Dec 1: I don't know. There are many theories about it. The most interesting theory that I've heard so far, which is nothing more than a theory, I can't—think it can't be proved, is that he was warned ahead of time by the Saudis. Now, who knows what the real situation is, but the trouble is that by suppressing that kind of information, you lead to those kinds of theories, whether they have any truth to them or not, and then eventually they get repeated as fact. So I think the president is taking a great risk by suppressing the clear, the key information that needs to go to the Kean commission.

Dec 9:
Scott Spradling, WMUR-TV: Governor Dean, you had once stated that you thought it was possible that the president of the United States had been forewarned about the 9/11 terrorist attacks. You later said that you didn't really know.

A statement like that, don't you see the possibility of some Democrats being nervous about statements like that leading them to the conclusion that you are not right for being the next commander in chief?

Howard Dean: Well, in all due respect, I did not exactly state that.

Update: I'm kidding!!!

Update: No I'm not!

Update: Yes I was!

Bush Proposes Tough New Sanctions on Saddam

As President Bush suggests the imposition of a tough new "sanction" on Saddam Hussein (if so approved by an Iraqi court) some Europeons and a Vatican spokescardinal cautiously urged caution in dealing with the deposed rapist, murderer, and dictator of Iraq.

"Let's just see what penalty he gets, but I think he ought to receive the ultimate penalty ... for what he has done to his people," Bush said in a TV interview broadcast Tuesday. "I mean, he is a torturer, a murderer, they had rape rooms. This is a disgusting tyrant who deserves justice, the ultimate justice."

The Vatican's Cardinal Renato Martino felt "compassion" for Saddam, despite his crimes, after seeing images of "this destroyed man" being "treated like a cow, having his teeth checked" by an American military medic.

Actually, he was probably looking for a suicide capsule, Padre. To prevent Saddy from committing a sin, if you will. And as far as "cow" treatment, I just had my annual dental checkup. I'll admit it wasn't very fun, but I can't say it occurred to me to feel "cow-like" at the time. You see, dental visits are just a part of life... in America.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the world body opposes the death penalty. The European Union shares his view.

"We believe there are no circumstances that can justify the death penalty," said Diego Ojeda, the EU's spokesman on external relations.

Searching tirelessly for additional supporting quotes, the intrepid AP reporter who filed this copy stumbled happily upon...

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who supported the U.S.-led war that ousted Saddam, also emphasized his country's opposition to the death penalty.

The international community and the Iraqi leadership "must show the Iraqis that an alternative to the past decades' terror regimes exists," Denmark's Berlingske Tidende newspaper said.

How many "world figures" would perhaps approve of "one last warning" for Saddam prior to setting him free as an example of the "right way to do business" for the Iraqi people?

Update on the Cardinal from Instapundit.

Interview With Soldiers Involved In Saddam's Capture

GOOD MORNING AMERICA ABC TV DECEMBER 15, 2003

Interview With Soldiers Involved In Saddam's Capture

DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS: We have got our satellite up and once again, we go to Specialist John Iverson and Specialist Ryan Brescher. And there they are joining us from Iraq. And, as I said, we know this is a good morning for the two of you.

Specialist Iverson, I'm going to start with you. As you are heading in, you've got your night vision goggles on, you are heading into this compound. Did you know you were going for Saddam Hussein?

SPECIALIST JOHN IVERSON, DRIVER, 4TH DIVISION, 1ST BRIGADE: We had been informed that that was a possible target that we were going after. We always keep our minds open because we never actually know if what we are going after is there.

SAWYER: (Off Camera) And Specialist Brescher, were your, were your hearts pounding?

SPECIALIST RYAN BRESCHER, GUNNER, 4TH DIVISION, 1ST BRIGADE: Yeah, we were a little excited about the events that could take place. It's a big event. He's a man we've been looking for for a long time. So, yeah, we were, we were pumped up about it.

SAWYER: (Off Camera) Now, Specialist Brescher, was that luck that somebody saw the spider hole or did you all have a tip to go specifically to that place?

BRESCHER: Actually, that was information that we weren't, we weren't given, we were really told of the area, not really the -specifics on the information.

SAWYER: (Off Camera) And Specialist Brescher, I know that through your night vision goggles, you did see Saddam Hussein being pulled out of that hole. We've heard he was disoriented, that he had bumped his head even. Could you tell, was he wobbling around, did he seem off-balance?

BRESCHER: Actually, yes, he did. The terrain was also, the field's a little torn up. But, yes, as they, as they were escorting him out, he was very disoriented. Couldn't tell what was going on.

SAWYER: (Off Camera) And Specialist Iverson, how long did you have, what kind of notice did you have before mounting this operation and how prepared were you for a real fight to the finish?

IVERSON: Well, when we originally started, we had been on standby for, I don't know, I'd have to say maybe about two or three hours. And we rolled out for link up with special operation forces. At that point in time, it just happened one right after another, it seemed like it was going in an instant. I couldn't really put a timetable on it, though.

SAWYER: (Off Camera) And Specialist Iverson, we heard that some of you did light cigars afterwards. Was there a moment of celebration?

IVERSON: I'd have to say that there was a momentary celebration after it was done, once we had officially been told what happened. I couldn't honestly say about the whole cigars, but we did celebrate a little bit.

SAWYER: (Off Camera) Well, Specialist Brescher, I just wonder, have had you a chance to talk to your mom and your wife about your role in this?

BRESCHER: I actually haven't yet. I was able to send a small e-mail to them, but I haven't, haven't been able to talk to them in person or on the phone yet and let them know what actually went on.

SAWYER: (Off Camera) Well, we have a little, we have a little surprise for you right now. And I want to say we tried to get both of your families up, but we managed to get through to Carol Brescher, your mom. And to Brianne, your wife. And they are joining us by phone this morning. Mrs. Brescher, Carol Brescher, can you hear me?

CAROL BRESCHER: Yes, I can.

SAWYER: Do you want to say something to your son this morning?

CAROL BRESCHER: Ryan, I'm so proud of you. I'm proud and I'm, I'm glad you're safe. And, I'm, I'm glad the Iraqi people can be free now.

SAWYER: (Off Camera) And Brianne, do you have something to add?

BRIANNE BRESCHER: I love you. I love you and I'm, and I'm so happy that you are safe, too, honey.

SAWYER: (Off Camera) And Specialist Brescher, it is your turn to talk back.

BRESCHER: I love you, baby. I did it for you guys. I'm over here, I fight the fight everyday. And it's paid off. We, we did what we came here to do. And we continue to do it everyday. And, baby, it's for you. It's, it's for the family. I love you guys. I'm proud to do what I do. And I'm glad I was here. I'm glad I was, was able to take part in this event. And I love you guys so much. I am so proud that I could do this for the country.

SAWYER: (Off Camera) Well, we're going to leave both of you on the phone, all three of you the phone and sign off. And I want you to know, Specialist Iverson, we're still dialing, and if we can get through, you bet you are going to get a chance to talk to your family this morning, too. And we just want to say, thank you from all of us back home.

CAROL BRESCHER: Thank you, Diane.

ScrappleFace: Support the Troops

My buddy Scott Ott has re-posted his "Support the Troops" post from earlier this year, just in time for Christmas and a Saddam bust. If you haven't done so please consider joining the 1300+ commenters (most in the blogosphere?) on this amazing post.

My GI buds: Go read what the real America thinks of you.

Warning to all: rampant feelings of patriotism may result.